Freezing

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/freezing

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the molecular structure of ice?Hexagonal crystalline lattice (Ice Ih) formed by hydrogen bonds
2. What is the latent heat of fusion?The energy released when water freezes (approx. 334 J/g)
3. What happens to water when it freezes?Water turns into ice at 0°C, forming a hexagonal crystal where molecules line up in a pattern that lets ice float.
4. Why does ice float on water?Ice is less dense than liquid water because its crystal structure has more open space, so it stays on top.

Phase Transition: The physical process where a substance changes from one state to another (e.g., liquid to solid).
Nucleation Site: A point or surface where a new phase (like a crystal) can begin to form.
Albedo: The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed.